The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Assistant Director of the Plant Quarantine Station (PQS) in Visakhapatnam and a private person in an alleged bribery case involving the clearance of import containers, the agency said in a statement reported by IANS on Saturday, November 7.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

The arrested men were identified as Sudhakara T.M., Assistant Director and in-charge of the Plant Quarantine Station, Visakhapatnam, and Sunkavalli Satyanarayana, a private person who allegedly acted as an intermediary in the transaction, IANS reported.

According to the CBI, a case was registered on November 6 against two officials of the Plant Quarantine Station, including the Assistant Director, along with three private persons and some unidentified individuals. The agency alleged that the official demanded an undue advantage of Rs 1 lakh from a private firm in exchange for clearing containers awaiting approval from the quarantine station. These are allegations, and the case is under investigation.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on Friday. The Assistant Director was allegedly caught accepting the bribe amount of Rs 1 lakh through the private person, and the entire bribe money was recovered during the trap proceedings, the agency said, in reporting also carried by the Deccan Chronicle.

Source: Deccan Chronicle via Urban Acres

The CBI also carried out searches at multiple locations linked to the accused, including premises in Visakhapatnam, Faridabad, and Thimanapalli village in Karnataka's Kolar district, IANS reported.

The arrested accused were produced before the competent court in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. The CBI said further investigation is underway to ascertain the role of the other accused and whether similar instances had taken place in connection with container clearances at the station.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press